Repeating phonograph



Jan. 14, 1936. I v J. H. HAMMOND, JR 2,027,427

REPEATING PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 19, 1935' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l I l0 3 I} Jan. 14, 1936. HAMMQNQ'JR 2,027,427

REPEATING PHONbGRAFH 7 Filed Aug. 19, 193?: 5 Sheets-Shem: 2

- 8 p E A Trams 1 W I I VVENTOR BY M Jan. 14, 1936. J. H. HAMMOND, JR 2,027,427

REPEATING PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 19, 1933- 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR .4 TTORNEYS J. H. HAMMOND, JR 2,027,427

REPEATING PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 19, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTORNEYS Jan. 14, 1936.

J. H. HAMMOND, JR 2,027,4 2? REPEATING PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 19, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 POWER AMPLI- Fl ER INVENTOR W 7 1:1 67 7 1 A TTORNEYS Patented Jan. 14, 1936 I l 2,027,427

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC REPEATING PHONOGRAPH John Hays Hammond, Jr., Gloucester, Mass. Application August 19, 1933, Serial No. 685,893 16 Claims. (01. 274-40) This invention relates to sound reproducing invention is shown as applied to a standard type means and more particularly to means for conof repeating phonograph mechanism adapted to trolling the sound reproduction of devices for successively remove disc records from a magazine automatically reproducing a plurality of musical and to place said discs in playing position. .In

, selections in succession. general, this machine consists of a casing ID in 5 The invention relates particularly to means in which is mounted a standard type of phonograph connection witharepeating phonograph provided motor (not shown), driving a shaft ll (Fig. 2) with an amplifier, for automatically setting the to which is attached a turntable |2. Surrounding controls of the amplifier in accordance with the the turntable I2 is a lift ring l3, which is pivoted requirements of each record. to a bracket H. A magazine I5 is also mounted The invention provides means for accommoon this bracket and is held at a fixed angle by dating the system to various sized records. supports IS. A tone arm 23 and pick-up 24 are The invention also provides means for resetadapted to cooperate with the record on the turnting the controls after each record has been table l2. Records l9 and 20 which may, for ex- 5 played. ample, be of different sizes, may be held in posi- The invention further provides means for settion in the magazine l5 by a spring 22. ting the controls independently for each side of Suitable standard and well known mechanism, the record, not shown, is provided to raise the lift ring l3 The invention also consists in certain new and into position to receive a record from the magaoriginal features of construction and combinazin and a amp rat d s d 0 is ar a d tions of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed. o feed a c rd f o the magazine to the'li t Although the novel features which are believed ring- T ec d o s y gravity ain t cel to be characteristic of this invention will be partering pins I52 and the lift ring then carries the ticularly pointed out in the claims appended record to position on the turntable and. the pickin: hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and p 2 m ves into playing position. After the 25 advantages, the mode of its operation nd the record has been played, but while it is still rotatmanner of its organization may be better underins, p u g r r d M is m v d into en a e nt stood by referring to the following description with the underside of the record by the phonotaken in connection with the accompanying graph mechanism. The record is'tilted by the :m drawings forming a part thereof, in whi h movement of rod- [5| until the center hole of the Figure 1 is a partial plan view of a repeating record is clear oi the free end of driving shaft ll. phonograph embodying the present invention. Since turntable I2 is still rotating it acts to carry Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism the tilted record laterally until it slides over the shown in Figure l. edge of the turntable into a suitably placed record 1 Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the autoreceptacle.

matic setting mechanism. The above described mechanism is of well Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. known commercial form such as is embodied in Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of a record in opthe automatic Victrola and Electrola and erative position with respect to the setting mechconstitutes no part of the present invention.

1) is Hence, it will not be described in detail herein. 40 v Fig. 6 is a partial plan view similar to Fig. 5 A complete description of the mechanism and showing a small sized record in the operative operation of this type of automatic phonograph position. is given in'British Patent No. 338,508 to The Fig. '7 illustrates diagrammatically one form of Gramophone Company Limited (specification -15 amplification system which may be used with the complete accepted November 12, 1930) present invention and In accordance with the present invention, the

Fig. 8 is a partial detail view of the lift ring. back of the magazine l5 may be provided with a. Like reference characters denote like parts in projection 11, engaging slots l8 cutin the recthe several figures of the drawings. ords I9 and 20. The lift ring I3 is provided with .30 In the following description and in the claims, a projection I311. for a purpose to be described. parts will be identified by specific names for con- For accomplishing the automatic adjusting of venience, but they are intended to be as generic the amplifier controls, a setting mechanism 3| is in their application to similar parts as the art provided. This mechanism consists of a base will permit. 32 provided with three brackets 33, 34 and 35 Referring more particularly to Figs. 1-4, the Figs. l-2). Supported by the base 32 and the 55 corresponding contacts I! .is held by the slide.

brackets 33 and 34 are two rods 34:: and 35a. Slidably mounted on these rods is a base plate 36 (Figs. 1-4) to which is pivoted a frame 31 by means of a pin 33. The frame 31 is held in operative position with respect-to the base plate 36 by means of a spring 39 and stop 40.

Slidably mounted in the frame 31 are a plurality of fingers 42-55. These fingers are attached to rods 56 which are provided with collars 51. Surrounding the rods 56 are springs 53 which tend to hold the fingers in extended position. Mounted above the rods 56 are a plurality of pawls H, which are secured to a shaft 62 having bearings in brackets 63, carried by the frame 31. Secured to one end of the shaft 62 is an arm 64 with which a spring 65 cooperates to hold pawls 6I in position to engage collars 51 when said collars are moved into alignment therewith.

The base plate 36 is provided with a downward extension 66 having an inclined face 66a and carrying a rotatable shaft 61. Pinned to one side of this shaft is an arm 68 (Fig. 2), and to the other side a second arm 69 (Fig. 4), which is normally held in a central position by means of two springs II and 12. Slidably mounted in the base plate 36 and in a bracket I3, which may be attached to the extension 66, is a rod I4, the upper end of which passes through a slot 15 in the frame 31 (Fig. 3), and engagesthe under-surface oi the arm 64. A collar 16 is pinned to the rod I4 to prevent it from slipping through the bracket 13.

Attached to, but insulated from, the rods 56, as by insulation 56a, are a plurality of contacts II, which atsuitable times -re adapted to engage either a resistance I8 or contacts 8I-84. The base plate 36 is normallyheld in the position withrespecttorods 34a and 35a shown in Fig. 4 by means of a spring 35, one end of which is attached to this base plate and the other to the end of the bracket35.

In this invention, the records are provided with suitable notches'and'projections which cooperate with the fingers 42-55. Thus for example, the record I3 isprovided with six notches 3I-96 and five projections 91-IOI, and the record 20 is provided with.a similar number of notches and projections.

When the starting switch (not shown) is closed, the turntable i2is started rotating, the lift ring I3 moves up into engagement with the magazine I5 and at the saine. time the record I9 is moved out of this magazine by slide I50 until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 5 where it While moving into this position, the record encounters the end of the frame 31, thus rotating this frame about the pin 38, through a small angle to cause the fingers 42-55 to register with the periphery of the record. At the same time. the groups of fingers 42-44, 46-52 and 54-55 slip into the notches 33, 32 and 3| respectively, while the projections 33 and 31 eng ge the fingers 46 and 53, causing them to bemoved to the right, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, suiilciently for the to engage the resistance l3 and the contact 32, respectively. The corresponding pawlsll will snap over the collars 51, thus holding these contacts 11 in operating position.

As the record I3, under control of slide I50, continues to move out of the magazine, it will push the frame 31 together with the base 36 along the rods 34a and 35. After it has reached its initial position under the proper position the record I3 will be fed onto lift ring I3 and will be lowered by means of the lift ring onto the turntable I2 by means of the standard phonograph mechanism, and as it does so, the projection 33 of the record I3 will slide along the inclined face 66a of the extension 63 of the base 36, thus gradually allowing this base, together with the frame 31, to be moved back into its original position.

As the lift ring I3 moves down with the record, the projection I3a engages the arm 68, rotating it in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2, until it slips by this arm which will be returned to the action of the springs II and I2. As soon as the record I3 is placed on the turn table I2 it will start rotating with this turn table, and the tone arm 23 will be automatically rotated in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1, until the pick up device 24 is placed upon the record in a well known and standard manner.

The energy from the pick-up device 24 may be amplified by any suitable amplifier; such for example, as that shown in Fig. 7. In this amplifier the pick-up device 24 is connected through a transformer I05 to a potentiometer I06. The adjustable contact I01 of this potentiometer is connected in the input circuit'of a space discharge amplifier I08, the output of which passes through a transformer I09 to a power amplifier I I I, the output circuit of which is connected to a loud speaker II2. Across the potentiometer I06 is a bank of condensers II3, the intermediate points of which are connected to a plurality of contacts H4, H5, H6 and III. These contacts are engaged by a contact arm II 8.

The controls of the amplifier may be adjusted by means of the setting mechanism 3|, thus for example, the resistance I3 and the contacts I1, cooperating therewith, may correspond to the potentiometer I06, and the adjustable contact II! respectively, so that when the contact 11, corresponding to the finger 45, engages the resistance 18, it will permit a certain amount of the energy from the pick-up device 24 to be fed to the amplifier I00. Thecontacts 3I-84 may correspond to the contacts II4-III, and the cooperating contacts 11 to the contact arm II8; thus for example, when the contact 82 is engaged by the cooperating contact 11, this would correspond to the position of the arm H3 on the contact II5, thus causing a predetermined capacity to be placed across the potentiometer I06 for controlling the quality of the sound produced by the loud speaker I I2. It is to be understood that suitable connections to the contacts '11, resistance 13 and contacts 0I84 may be made in any conver'iient manner; also that the amplifying System and the various details thereof are of standard form. Only so much, thereof, 'has been shown as is necessary to an-understanding of the present invention.

when a record is moved into the position shown in Fig. 5, the controls of the amplifier will be set at predetermined positions, depending upon the locations of the projections on the record. If this record is reversed in positionfor playing on the opposite side, it will be evident that the notches 34, and I M will actuate the fingers 42-55. In this case, however, different fingers will be operated, the projection I00 causing the operation of the finger 43, and the projection II], the operation of the finger 54, thus setting the controls of the amplifier in a proper position for reproducing 95, 36 and the projections Ill that particular record. In this way, the controls of the amplifier will be set for each individual side of the record,

After the record I!) has been played, it will be discarded into the discharge compartment byoperation of plunger rod l5l, and the lift ring l3 will be moved up in order to take the next record. As it does so, the projection l3a engages the arm 68, rotating it in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Fig. 2. This causes rotation of the arm 69 in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 4, which continues until it engages the end of the rod 14, thus moving this rod up- .ward and causing the arm 64, together with the shaft 62 and pawls 6|, to be rotated in a clockwise direction, thus lifting these pawls out of engagement with the collars 51 which, together with the corresponding fingers 45 and 53, and the contacts 11, will be moved to the left as seen in Fig. 4, under the action of the springs 58. It is thus seen that as the lift ring l3 moves up into position for picking up a record, it will-automatically reset the setting mechanism 3| so that it is in condition for a new setting by the next record.

The record 29 will now be fed out of the magazine into the position shown in Fig. 6. As it does so the fingers of the setting mechanism 3| will fit into the notches in this record. The proljU jections of this record will then-cause the corresponding fingers to be moved in,'thus setting the controls of the amplifier in a'predetermined manner for this particular record. But, in the case of the small record 20, the frame 31 will not be .moved from its' initial position, as it is so located that the record 20 will just come in contact with this frame without changing its position.

I From the foregoing it will be seen that as each record comes into position on the lift ring it will automatically set the controls of the amplifier in accordance with the location of one series of projections on this record, the mechanism automatically taking care of difierent sized recordsl When these records are reversed, the amfier controls. will then be set by the other series of projections, so that there will be independent amplifier settings for each side of the record. The projection l1 engages slots l8 in the records to hold the records in proper position with respect to the setting mechanisms.

Although only a few of the various forms in which this invention may be embodied have been shown herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but may be embodied in various forms with- .out departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In combination. a repeatingphonograph adapted to successivelyv reproduce a plurality of records and having means to successively place the records in playing position, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph and means controlled by each record and responsive to the positioning of said record for playing, to set said adjusting means in accordance with the requirements of that particular record.

2. In combination. a repeating phonograph adapted to successively reproduce a plurality of records and having means to successively place the records in playing position, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph and means controlled by each record prior to playing thereof, and responsive to the positioning of said record for playing. to set said adjusting means in accordance with the requirements of that particular record.

3.,In combination, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively reproduce a plurality of records and having means to successively place the records in playing position. means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph and means controlled by 'each record and responsive to the positioning of said record for playing, to set said adjusting means in ac cordance with the requirements of that particular record and means to restore said adjusting means after the playing of each record.

4. In combination, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively play a plurality of records and having means to successively remove said records from a magazine and place the record in playing position, sound reproducing means adapted to be actuated by the record in playing position, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics thereof and means actuated byeach record as it is moved from said magazine into playing position, to set said adjusting means in accordance with the requirements of the part-ion and having. means to successively remove said records from a magazine and place the records in playing position, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics thereof and setting means to set said adjusting means, said setting means being adapted to be actuated by the pe- I1."

riphery of each record as it is moved from said magazine into playing position, to set said ad-. justing means in accordance with the requirements of the particular record.

6. In combination, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively play a plurality of records and having means to successively remove said records from'a magazine and place the record in playing position, sound reproducing means adapted to be actuated by the record in playing position, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics thereof and means actuated by each record as it is moved from said magazine into playing position, to set said adjusting means in accordance with the reouirements of the par- 1 ticular record and means actuated upon removal of each record from the playing position to restore said adjusting means to condition for resetting by the next successive record.

1. In combination, a set of records having in- 5 dividual control setting means, a repeating phonograph adapted to successfully remove said records from a magazine and to place the recor'ds in playing position, sound reproducing means adapted to be actuated by the record in playing. position. a control means adapted'to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said sound reproducing means over a range of values, and means operated by the mechanism of said phonograph prior to playing of each record. to bring the individual control setting means of said record into actuating relation with said control means to adjust said reproducing characteristics to the individual value for said record.

' 8. In combination. a set of record tablets having individual marginal control setting means, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively remove said records from a magazine to place the records in playing position, sound reproducing means adapted to be actuated by the record in playing position, a control means adapted to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics 01 said sound reproducing means, and means whereby said control setting means actuates said control means prior to playing of each record.

9. In combination, a set of record tablets having individual peripheral indentations and projections, a repeating phonograph adapted to suecessively remove said records from a magazine and to place the records in playing position, sound reproducing means adapted to be actuated by the record in playing position, a control means adapted to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said sound reproducing means, and means whereby said indentations and projections actuate said control means prior to the playing of each record.

10. In combination, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively remove records from a magazine and to reproduce the same, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph, a setting means for said adjusting means comprising a set of fingers adapted to be actuated by the individual records and mounted in the path of movement of said record from said magazine and a yieldable mounting for said setting means whereby said setting means is moved as a unit by the record after the fingers are actuated, whereby to accommodate records of various sizes.

11. In combination, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively remove records from a magazine and to reproduce the same, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph, a setting means for said adjusting means comprising a set of fingers adapted to be actuated by the individual records and mounted in the path of movement of said record from said magazine and means to reset said fingers when said record is removed from playing position.

12. In combination, a stack of record tablets, each having marginal projections adapted to engage a setting means, means to align said records with said projections in register with said setting means, certain of said projections corresponding to setting requirements for the selection on one side of said record and .others 01' said projections corresponding to setting requirements of the selection on the other side thereof, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively play records from said stack, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph, and setting means adapted to be actuated by said projections for setting said ad justing means in accordance with the requirements of each record.

13. In combination, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively reproduce a plurality of 5 different sized records and having means to suecessively place the records in playing position, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph, and means controlled by each record and responsive to the posi- 10 tioning of said record for playing, to set said adjusting means in accordance with the size and requirements of that particular record.

14. In combination, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively reproduce a plurality of 15 diflerent sized records and having means to successively place the records in playing position, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph, setting means adapted to preset said adjusting means, said :0 setting means being adapted to peripherally engage each record as it is moved into playing position,. and means supporting said setting means for pivotal and longitudinal movement, whereby said setting means is adapted to register with the peripheries of records of various sizes.

15. In combination, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively reproduce a plurality 01 records having separate selections recorded on both sides thereof and having means to successlvely place the records in playing position, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph, and means controlled by each record and responsive to the positioning of said record for playing, to set said adjusting means in accordance with the requirements of that particular selection which is being reproduced.

16. In combination, a repeating phonograph adapted to successively reproduce a plurality of records having separate selections recorded on both sides thereof and having means to successively place the records in playing position, means to adjust the sound reproducing characteristics of said phonograph, setting means adapted to preset said adjusting means, said setting means being adapted to peripherally engage each record as it is moved into playing position, and means positioning each record whereby the portion of its periphery engaging the setting means is .determined in accordance with the side of the record to be played.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR. 

